Global Retirement Partners LLC Acquires New Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 20,651 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $19,318,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after buying an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $934.66 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $414.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.02, a PEG ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $945.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $980.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership program remains a key long-term growth engine, with recurring membership revenue and renewal strength potentially supporting profitability and cash flow. Costco Has a Secret Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to view Costco as a durable long-term compounder; one projection suggests a $10,000 investment could grow to $13,400 over five years, although that is an opinion rather than company guidance. Costco Five-Year Investment Projection
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its physical footprint with a new Celina, Texas, warehouse, while a delivery upgrade could improve convenience and sales of popular merchandise. Costco Celina Warehouse
• Positive Sentiment: A partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans could create an additional member-engagement and revenue opportunity, though the financial impact is not yet clear. Costco and SCAN Medicare Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: New projects in Newington, New Hampshire, involving Costco and other companies are advancing, but the report provides limited information on Costco’s direct financial benefit. Newington Projects Advance
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves little room for disappointment: the company recently reported quarterly EPS of $4.93, narrowly missing the $4.94 consensus estimate, despite revenue exceeding expectations. Its P/E ratio near 47 also increases sensitivity to weaker-than-expected results. Costco Stock Performance and Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while defending a related class-action lawsuit. Refund costs, possible liabilities, and reputational concerns may weigh on investor sentiment. Costco Tariff Refunds and Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure is increasing as JCPenney targets the same value-oriented, “treasure hunt” retail appeal, potentially challenging Costco’s customer engagement at the margin. JCPenney Targets Costco’s Retail Strategy

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,120.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Roth Capital upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.